Bumper structure



April 3o, 1929. BENTON 1,711,080

BUMPER STRUCTURE Filed D60. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y ArToeA/EvsPatented Apr. 3o, 1929.

UNITED STATES DONALD L. BENTON, or Los ANGELES, cALmoaNu.

BUMPER STRUCTURE Application mee December 2s, 1927. Yserial Nn. 243,006.

This invention relates `to automobiles and particularly pertains toprotection for the ends thereof against collision.

At the present time it has become a matter of common practice to attachautomobile bumpers at the front and rear of automobiles to protect theautomobile from injury in c0llision, and from injury incident to traiiccongestion at which times cars are in close proximity to each other. The`usual method of this protection is to secure a resilient bumper bartransversely of the ends of the automobile, and in a position tooverhang the fenders. The overhanging ends of such bumpers project infront of the front wheels and in the rear of the rear wheels ofavehicle, and materially increase the area required for turn,- ing thevehicle in traiiic.

It is the principal objectof the present in- 20, vention to provide aprotecting structure adapted to be applied-to an automobile, and

which Will make a maximum clearance in.

tratiic, and at the same time will afford greater protection for thefenders and ends of the automobile than is now possible.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a relatively shorthorizontally disposed bumper, secured across the ends of the vehicleframe and in conjunction with whichl fender shields are provided toextend across the end and around the marginal edgelof the vehicle fenderin a manner to protect it from collision, and to prevent it from beingdis- `torted.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 isA a view in front elevation showing one form of the presentinvention, with a porthe manner -in which it is mounted.

i Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan showpg tle construction 'of thedevice disclosed in Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation showing anotherform of the present invention- Fig 4 is a view in plan showing thebumper disclosed in Fig. 3. i v v Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing afender shield as applied to the contour of the vehicle fender. j 'Y Fig.6 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the fender shield. j

Y F'g. 7 is a view in plan showing the fender fshied." Y e Y Y rig. s isa fragmentary .viewn maar section of the bumper broken away toillustrate" tion and elevation showingone manner of mounting the bumperupon the frame.

"Referring more particularly to the drawings 10 indicates the radiatorof an automobile which is supported upon the main frame members 11 and12. A front vehicle axle 13 is secured beneath the frame members andcarriesl springs 14 and 15. The wheels of the 4vehicle are-indicated at16 and 17.u It is common to mount wheel fenders 18 and 19 upon the:trame and to cause them to overhang the wheels. It is also commonpractice to suitably su port the headlights 20 and 21 at the forwar endof the vehicle, and itis the object oft-he present invention to providemeans for collectively protecting .the radiator, headlights and fendersfrom im' act, and to also interpose impact absorbin,j meansl between theends of the frame and an object in collision therewith to preventdistortion of the frame. This is'accomplished in the present instance bya bumper structure 22 and fender shields'23 and 24. The bumper structureis here shown as being of the resilient bar type,

as shown in Hoover Patents 1,191,306 and 1,221,800, issued to Thos. A.Hoover, January .9, 1917, and April 3, 1917, respectively.

This bumper comprises a back bar 25eX-` tending transversely of the endsof the auto'- mobile, and being engaged by brackets 26 and 27,which aresecured to the frame members 11 and 12, and which support the back bar25 of the bumper in a position across the ends of the frame member asclearly shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The back bar carries positeends. These members receive the rccurved ends of front impact bars 30and 31.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the impact bars are disposed -inparallel spaced relation to each other, and are super osed in the samevertical plane. Asuitable tlitting 32 secures the impact bars in spacedvertical relation to each other.

It, of course, will be understood that various types of bum r structuresmay be used. The characteristic iture of the present structure, however,is that the ends of the bumper overhangthe framebut-a very shortdistance and do notproi'ct outwardly to overhang and protect thefenders` 18 and -19 ofthe vehicle.

The bumper structure therefore, acts as a fender or butler for thevehicle frame and tends to absorb shock which would otherwise beimparted theretolay collision, and particularly in tramo congestion. Theadvantage T-s haped bolting plates 28 and 29 at its opx of; the-shortlength bumper is that its over- -hanging ends will not hoolrotller carswhen turning or maneuvering in traliic and will facilitate handling thecar on crowded tl1oro fares.

i In order to insure protection for the fenders of the car withoutrequiring great turning clearance, fender shields 23 and 24 areprovided. These shields each consist ot a bar 33 which follows thecontour o'f the outer edge of a fender and 1s spaced a distance Ytherefrom, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of Vthe drawings. This bar ispreferably madel of spring steel and entends around the end of thefender, as well as along the edge thereof, for a desired distance. Thebar :is secured in position by bolts or rivets 34. which pass throughresilient spacers 35. These spacers are interposed between the bar andthe vertical e'dge of the fender and act to space the bar therefrom aswell as to resiliently support thebar lwhile absorbing impact shockdelivered thereto.

i It has also been found-that the resilient character of the spacersmakes it possible to readily adapt the bar to fenders of differentcontour.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. Y

1 and 2 of the drawings, the bars 33 are nrovided with mountingextensions A36. which are secured to the T-shaped bolting plates 29atthe ends of the bumpers. and b v which the inner ends of the bars 33are suitably snpported.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig.

3 of the drawings` the shields are not directly connected with thebumper structure, but cooperate'in conjunction therewith to provideprotection for the shields and the front of.

the vehicle, aswell as thezflamps and the radiator. l

In the form of the bumpers shown 'in Figs.

, 3 and 4lA of the drawings. it will be seen that the back bar 25 hasbeen bent to form recurved loops at its opposite ends and continues inan upwardly'7 curved impact bar 37.

,The fender shields as shown in Figs. 5. 6 l

and 7 oi the drawings. and identical with those shown in Figs. 1 and 2,with the exception that the connectingV member is eliminated. A-By the-use of these fender shields,v

even though unattached to the bumper bar, it has been found that theymaterially stillen the vehicle fenders so that thev will withstand theshock without erumpling and that theyalso prevent concentration of ablow at a point in the fender which would cause it to be crushed ordented. and it has also been found that the fender shields add to thesightly appearance of the vehicle.

It will thus be seen that the structure here disclosed provideseffective. means for protecting all of the vital parts of an automobile.either at the'front or rear end thereof. and that at the Sametime itmakes it possible for Having thus described my inyenti on. what I claimand desire to secure by Letterslatent 1. In combination with the frameand fenders of an automobile, a bumper structure Y extendingtransversely of the frame and supported thereby, said structure being ofa length slightly greater than the width of the frame less than thedistance between the wheel fenders of the vehicle, and fender shieldscarried by said bumper structure and extending upwardly and around themarginal edge ofh the vehicle fenders.

combination with the frame and fenders of an automobile, a bumperstructure extending transversely of the frame and supported thereby,said structure being of a length slightl greater than the width of theframe -less tlian the distance between the Awheel fenders of thevehicle, fender shields carriedby said bumper structure and extendingupwardly and around the marginal 'edge of the vehicle fenders, and meansresiliently mounting said fender shields upon the fenders. Y

3- In combination with the main frame of an automobile and its wheelfenders, protecting means therefor comprising a resilient looped en dbumper structure secured across the ends of said frame, said structurebeing of a length slightly greater than the over-al1 width of `theframe, and a pair of fender shields carried by the fenders of thevehicle and conforming to the contour thereof, said shields extendingupwardly and outwardly from the looped ends of the bumper. fl. Incombination with the main frame o an automobile and its wheel fenders,protecting means therefor comprising a resilient bumper structuresecured across the ends of said frame, said structure being of a lengthslightlyt greater than the over-all width of A the frame and less thanthe distance between the wheel fenders of the vehicle, and a pair offender shields carried-by the fenders of the vehicle and conforming tothe contour thereo, said shields extending outwardly from a pointsubstantially in alignment with the ends of the bumper, and means forresiliently mounting said shields upon the fender and in spaced relationto the marginal edge thereof.

5: A traiic bumper comprising, in combi nation with a vehicle frame, aresilient bumper 'structure having a resilient impact bar eX- tendingtransversely of the end of the automobile and slightly overhanging thesides of the frame and being of an over-all length less than thedistance between the wheel fenders of the vehicle, and means formounting said impact bar upon the frame.

6. A traiic bumper c01nprising,'in combi nation with a. vehicle frame,abumper strueture of a lengtlf substantially equal to the over-all widthof the `frame, and resilient means for securing said structure to therame,and a pair of fender shields secured to the bumper adjacent itsouter' ends and adapted to extend u wardly to the fenders and tothereafter' conorm to the marginal contour thereof.

7. A traffic bumper comprising, in combination .with a vehicle frame, abumper structure of a length substantially equal to the over-all widthof the frame, and resilient means for securing said structure to theframe, a pair of fender shields secured to the bumper adjacent its outerends and adapted to extend upwardly to the fenders and to thereafterconform to the marginal contour of the'end thereoLand means forresiliently securing said fendersliields to the marginal edge of thefender.

8. A bumper structure adapted to be positioned across the rontof anautomobile, comprising an impact -bar bent upon itself at its oppositeends to form looped ends, th'elooped end portions of said baroverhanging the side frame members of the vehicle and being positionedbetween said side frame members and the inner line'ofthe Vwheel fenders,a back lbar secured to the inwardly `extending free ends of the impactbar, means for mounting said back bar upon the frame end, and fenderguards one of which is secured to an end of the back bar and extendsupwardly to conform Vto the end and the outer side of the wheel fender,and resilient facing means in-f yterposed at intervals between thefender' guard and the marginal edge ofthe wheel fender for securing saidguard section inposi` tion with relation to said fender.

DONALD L. BENTON.

